High Cruise Passenger Volumes Expected on Saturday, May 17

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - May 15, 2014) - On Saturday, May 17, cruise passenger volumes at Canada Place and Ballantyne Pier cruise terminals are expected to be at a peak, with over 14,500 embarking and disembarking passengers expected between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm. On this busy cruise day, higher than normal traffic volumes are anticipated in the downtown core, along with increased demand for taxis and the use of public transportation.

In an effort to accommodate the high number of passengers, Port Metro Vancouver is working with cruise lines, the City of Vancouver, Tourism Vancouver, Vancouver taxi companies and other transportation service providers to raise awareness about the significantly increased demand.

In order to minimize congestion, it is particularly important that arriving passengers do not come to the Canada Place or Ballantyne cruise terminal prior to their scheduled embarkation time in order to avoid further congestion while disembarking passengers are leaving their ships. Given the significant number of passengers utilizing these facilities, Port Metro Vancouver is advising those going to the terminal to make transportation arrangements in advance. All passengers embarking at Canada Place are asked to report to Hall C in the Vancouver Convention Centre-East.

Port Metro Vancouver will have additional staff on site to assist with passenger inquiries. There will also be additional staff on site in conjunction with VPD Traffic Authority managing traffic and pedestrian flows at nearby crosswalks.

Every cruise call through Vancouver generates $2 million in economic activity, benefiting local businesses. In 2014, Vancouver will see more than 812,000 passengers on 243 calls by 29 cruise ships, adding an estimated $486 million to the local economy.

Port Metro Vancouver is a non-shareholder, financially self-sufficient corporation established by the Government of Canada, pursuant to the Canada Marine Act, and is accountable to the elected federal Minister of Transport. Port Metro Vancouver is Canada's largest port and a leader in environmental stewardship. It trades $172 billion in goods annually with more than 160 trading economies, generating across Canada an estimated 100,000 jobs, $6.1 billion in wages, and $9.7 billion in GDP. Port Metro Vancouver annually publishes a sustainability report which provides an overview of Port Metro Vancouver's social, environmental and economic performance, covering sustainability performance throughout the Gateway, and is independently assured by a third party. Port Metro Vancouver was the second port globally (behind Rotterdam) to produce a sustainability report meeting the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G3.1 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines, B+ Application Level, and is the first port globally to become a member of the International Integrated Reporting Council, Integrated Reporting Framework Pilot Project. Port Metro Vancouver's 2012 sustainability report has been shortlisted within the international Corporate Responsibility Reporting Awards.

For more information:

Backgrounder: Transportation Options to/from Vancouver Cruise Terminals for Saturday, May 17, 2014

Media Release: 2014 Cruise Season Shows Continued Strength (April 28, 2014)